Teach English in Thailand with CIEE

My five months teaching abroad in Thailand has changed my life! Living in Thailand for five months immersed in the Thai culture was very impactful. My placement was perfect for me. I felt so happy and welcomed in my Northeastern town and Anuban school. The best part of my experience were the Thailand relationships I formed as well as the English teachers I met at CIEE orientation and at my school. I have continued these relationships upon my return home.
My apartment was in an ideal location-I was able to walk to my school daily as well as find my meals and shop for necessities. I encourage everyone to become part of your local community-get out and meet people, take classes and immerse yourself in Thailand! I was able to travel every weekend either by bus or plane. I swam with elephants in Chiang Mai, bathed in the luxurious waters in the tropical island of Koh Samet, rode bicycles in Ayutthaya, and had many relaxing Thai massages! The possibilities are endless! Travel in Thailand is so easy and cheap. I felt safe my entire time abroad.
Because of my experience with CIEE and OEG I have made lifelong connections and have gotten to know Thailand and share my experiences with my school community here in America. I definitely plan on teaching abroad again. If you are thinking about teaching abroad with CIEE...just DO IT. It will change your life too!

I would want future participants to know that this is one of the scariest, hardest things you'll ever do--and you have to do it. You'll regret it forever if you don't, but even worse--you'll be missing out on the chance to become a different version of yourself. I am different because of Thailand: I am more well-aware of my privilege, I am less worried about trivial things, I am more aware of the importance of being friendly towards foreigners here in America, I am more appreciative of things, I am more confident and able to take on new challenges alone. Most importantly, I am proud to be who I am, and I have a newfound level of respect for myself; you won't find this confidence, this self-worth, if you don't test it. Also, I want MORE out of my life than I did before; meeting travellers, learning about their life experiences and their various ways of arriving at their careers, made me less likely to settle in my own life. For instance, I learned about a writer who has been freelance writing for 10-years while he travels the world, and that is my new goal: I've learned through this experience that the 9-to-5 desk job is not the only option.

After a very positive experience teaching English in China with CIEE from 2015 to 2016, I decided to use CIEE again to help me secure a teaching position in Thailand from 2016 to 2017. I am so glad that I used CIEE to help me find my last teaching job in Thailand! My school, supervisor, and students were wonderful, and I loved having the opportunity to learn about Thai culture and to travel in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Before leaving for Thailand, CIEE was there to help every step of the way. The current Teach in Thailand Program Coordinator, Kerry Plath, is always prompt, thorough, and honest when responding to emails and answering questions. CIEE helped me a lot with the work visa process for Thailand, and their pre-departure courses about living in Thailand and Thai culture helped me feel prepared before leaving the United States. CIEE's partner organization in Thailand, OEG, is also extremely helpful when you're in the country. OEG and CIEE give all teachers on the program a week-long orientation in Thailand, which is a great opportunity for participants to network and meet other teachers who will be placed in the same school/province/town as well as in other parts of Thailand. The orientation also provides seminars on the Thai language, Thai culture and history, and teaching English in the Thai classroom to help prepare teachers for starting their teaching jobs in Thailand. Anytime I ever had a question or concern in Thailand, all I had to do was email CIEE or OEG, and I always knew that they would respond helpfully and promptly. I had an amazing time teaching English in Thailand, and I really think that CIEE and their partner OEG played a huge part in making my teach in Thailand experience smooth and successful. I would definitely recommend CIEE's Teach in Thailand program to anyone who is interested in teaching English in Thailand. Especially if this is your first time teaching abroad, you can be sure that CIEE will help you to complete all of the documentation needed to legally work in Thailand and place you in a reputable school that will guarantee you accommodation and a steady salary each month. You can also be sure that if you have any issues with your school or contract, CIEE will mediate and advocate on your behalf. Thank you so much again CIEE for all of your support! Once again, you made my teaching abroad experience stress-free, fun, and fulfilling. :)

Having no clue what to expect from living and teaching in Thailand, I have been so overwhelmingly happy with what the experience has been like so far! CIEE was great in helping place me at a school that I feel welcomed and at home in. I have been able to get to know some of my Thai community, have taken Thai boxing classes at the local college, celebrated Thai festivals with other foreigners in my town, motorbiked to the biggest Buddha in Thailand less than 50 km away, and have indulged in more delicious Thai foods than I knew existed. Teaching through CIEE, I was able to meet tons of other English teachers excited about traveling. I was able to explore the most beautiful beaches, temples, caves, waterfalls, mountain villages, animal sanctuaries (Thailand literally has everything) almost every weekend with people that share the same passion and desire for travel and cultural immersion. Teaching has been a fun and sometimes hectic learning curve -- I've learned to lesson plan, control a classroom of 50 wild Thai high schoolers, and get used to the different structure and pace of a Thai school, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I've grown to love my students and have met some of the best people in my life while teaching and traveling in Thailand. I have 5 more months here, but already can't imagine leaving the Land of Smiles.

CIEE is a great program to teach abroad through! They provide a placement for you to teach, housing, pre-departure support, a training in Thailand to meet the other teachers and create a network of support/travel buddies and you get paid a salary to do it! The staff are very friendly and always available to answer your questions big or small. Their counterpart in Thailand is also a wonderful group of staff (OEG) who are willing to help you with anything and they have an incredible knowledge of Thailand, most are Thai or are ex-pats who have been living there for years. The one thing that was a bit shocking was how expensive CIEE was, but with everything that they provide you with, the cost is worth it. My experience with CIEE is one I still think about everyday, I have made great friends, excellent connections and feel like I have a deeper connection with Thailand than most tourists or even teachers do. They are the best company to go through if you have never taught abroad and/or you are looking for excellent support through every step of the process. If you have any doubt about moving abroad or changing your life, they are the ones to get you through it.

My experience with CIEE has been great! They've been helpful since before I left on my trip abroad and continued to help me throughout my time here. They took the time to answer my very specific questions before I left for this adventure which made me feel more comfortable before leaving home. After arriving to Thailand they had a well organized orientation for the first week in Thailand, the orientation was very helpful and had a lot of good information which was the perfect way to start my experience. I've been nothing but happy with CIEE and would recommend them to anyone who is planning on teaching in Thailand.

*UPDATE 11/14/2017*
Before coming to Thailand I had zero travel experience. CIEE made me pre-departure easy and stress free so my experience was already off to a great start. They have been available to me for questions and concerns the entire time I've been in Thailand. I loved working with CIEE so much that I have now applied for another program through them. I trust them and the people working there :) I'm currently still here in Thailand but this experience has 100% changed my life, it's allowed me to travel and do something I love, working with kids, at the same time.

I studied abroad through CIEE in Seville, Spain in 2013 and had such a great experience. After studying in Sevilla, I knew I wanted to live abroad again and I am so glad I did!

The week long orientation was such a great way to make friends and it really eased any nerves I had about living and working in a foreign country.

I definitely recommend this program if you want total support and guidance on obtaining your visa, making friends, finding a school, and finding housing.

I honestly have zero complaints about my experience with CIEE thus far - all positives!!!

I am very thankful for my Google search of "teach English abroad" and CIEE was the first program that came up. It is very highly recognized and their reputation make it one of the best programs to pursue your teaching abroad experience! The staff was more than helpful and was there every step of the way to guide you through the process. Kerry Plath was an excellent coordinator for the Teach in Thailand program and always went out of her way in order to assist you in ANY way! She even brought me a separate Lonely Planet - Thailand book with her in her suitcase to give to me when we all arrived in Bangkok because mine got lost in the mail prior to leaving home. CIEE provided many webinars and Q&A's for participants interested in the program so that there were no unanswered questions during the preparation stage. I am very appreciative of the fact that CIEE simplified the entire visa process, as well as found a school for you to work at. This makes the program fee well worth the price. And as a foreign language teacher, you will be making a higher salary than most Thai teachers so you will earn that amount back in no time! Although my experience in my current town in Thailand has been an amazing one, I would say my favorite part of this journey was the start of it. Every participant met in Bangkok for orientation to prepare for the once-in-a-lifetime experience ahead. I am very thankful for this week in Bangkok because that is also where I met my close friends who I now travel with on the weekends! CIEE does an amazing job at organizing this orientation and it truly helped shake out all the nervousness we had when we first arrived in Thailand. Overall, I am forever thankful I did that Google search that one day back at home. Now I know what program I will use if I ever want to teach abroad again!

Hello everybody,

My name is Steve and I am teaching in Chumphon Thailand. It is a nice town located close to the sea. I work at a private school out in the jungle. I also live on campus which is nice as I am only about 25 yards from my classroom. The school staff and my co workers are awesome. I love it here! The food is delicious and I am starting to meet more English people. They are happy to see another westerner in this beautiful country and have been showing me around town. I love the Thai people but it is also nice to speak to English people as well.

Steve

In short, I fully recommend both OEG and CIEE. CIEE staff were knowledgable and excellent answering my questions prior to departure; I even missed a few deadlines and they were able to help guide me through the process none-the-less. In particular, Kerry Plath is great.

The orientation itself is fantastic. I found the classes informative in regards to teaching and general practical tips about living in Thailand. It was also a lot of fun: there were some neat excursions, like the river cruise and sight-seeing at the temple, and the food and accommodations were top-notch. Most importantly, it's a great opportunity to meet other teachers, and there was plenty of time to go-out and socialize.

I'm having a great time at my placement without any issues, so I haven't been in a ton of contact with OEG since I started teaching. However, there have been some useful facebook groups and emails for organizing stuff and looking up fun events that I have found helpful: I feel as though OEG would be there to assist me if any issues were to arise.

CIEE is an incredible program, and I highly recommend it to anyone considering teaching in Thailand (or anywhere else in the world for that matter). They were so supportive and helpful during the whole daunting process of moving abroad, with everything from applying for a visa, preparing and packing, and even a week-long orientation upon arrival. They provided loads of information and webinars about every step, and answered all questions and emails right away. I chose to teach for a semester, starting in October 2016, and almost immediately extended my stay to a year (and counting) once I arrived because I loved it so much. My only complaint was that CIEE was a little expensive, but I can honestly say it's been totally worth it. Partially because of how simple they made the complicated and confusing process of finding a job and applying for a visa, but mostly because of the in-country orientation. My first week in Thailand was spent in Bangkok with the other 170+ participants, where we spent our days learning about Thai culture and language, classroom expectations, work visa requirements, and even some intro-TEFL classes. The information provided helped prepare me for my first-ever teaching experience as well as eased the culture shock, and spending that time making friends with the other participants who were going through the same thing was amazing. Teaching in Thailand has its challenges, and my experience would have been totally different (and much more difficult) without the support I received from CIEE and the friends I met at orientation. I've also met teachers here who've come to Thailand through other programs - or even on their own - and CIEE is hands down the most organized and supportive way to go and I can't speak highly enough about the incredible experience I've had through them.

This is my second time leaving the U.S.A., and it is the first time living in another country for an extended amount of time. For me, coming to Thailand was not something I had planned; honestly, it was quite the opposite. I stumbled upon the opportunity in mid February, applied by March 1, agreed to coming to Thailand in mid March, and left for Thailand during the first of May. I describe that period time as "excitedly nervous". The idea of living in a new culture with new opportunities, new places to see, new customs, new food, etc. all sounded so exciting! However, there was also the apprehension of what if I don't like it, what if I am not good at teaching English, what if I don't make friends, etc. Looking back on that time period, I can genuinely say making the decision to come to Thailand has been on of the best decisions I have ever made. Every day, I learn more about this new culture and what makes it so special. My school's location, while more remote, is filled with students and teachers that are happy that I am there and excited to interact with me, even if sometimes most of the conversation is through body movements. I live with a Thai family that makes it a priority of making me included in the community as well as showing me places that are authentic Thai. When I have questions or need help, I can count on my coordinator and OEG/CIEE to assist in any situation. I'd encourage anyone that is thinking about living abroad to check out this program and what it has to offer!

You will never feel more welcomed and loved than you are as an English teacher in the primary schools of Thailand. The children will literally run up to you and want to hug you. Even though you are not their teacher and have never met them. There are three buildings at Bannakanluang School. I teach in back building called MEP or Mini English Program. The children will call to me from out of the windows in the building in front of MEP. " Teachaaaa Teachaaaa we love you and then they will blow me kisses and give me the I love you sign with their hands." Students here from Kindigarden to 6th grade are all so excited just to say hello and wave to you. They especially love group hugs. The younger students will call to you "Teachaaa.........hello" , when you say hello back to them they giggle and laugh with each other. It is do cute.......teachaaa and hello are probably the only two English words they know.

The Thai teachers and staff are no less than delightful and will do what ever it takes to help you with your needs. One of the things I really like about the Thai culture is that the Thai people know how to dress up everyday for school. Saving the blue jeans and tee shirts for leisure.
The whole community eating thing here is a bit much for me to take since I am very germ conscious. I love having company to eat with but I am not willing to eat out of the same bowl that others have dipped their spoons into. But the Thai people eat after each other and they never think anything of it. Truly a real since of FAMILY is felt among all.
I have been here for just over a month and I can tell you two things FOR SURE! 1. I want to live the remaining years of my life here. 2. In the beginning it is PARADOX !! It is so FABULOUS and at the same time there are several adjustments to make. The feeling of being frustrated and not being able to speak Thai makes it difficult.
On that note, I recommend learning to speak Thai as soon as possible before arriving. Everything came so fast and it took all of my time to work, purge and prepare for my arrival here I didn't get the time to do that. NO WORRIES!! It will not take me long to learn as I have brought books and CD's. AND EVERY Thai person here is willing to teach you. It makes for a lot of laughter for both parties involved.

CIEE was so helpful during my time teaching in Thailand! I made my decision to leave last minute and they were very accommodating in helping me get my visa in order. I think the most important thing the program gives you is a network of other teachers, which is super helpful when moving to a different country. I met a lot of my friends abroad at orientation with CIEE, which made moving to a different country a lot easier. The program was even helpful after I finished my contract with them in Thailand, helping me with additional paperwork that had nothing to do with them. Overall worth every penny.

Where do I even begin?! I was unhappy with my current teaching position in the states, felt like I was getting older and hadn't experienced all that I deserved to, and had an interest in meeting new people from all walks of life. I made the sudden choice to submit my application, put down my deposit and begin a new chapter in my life. The fears, insecurities, and worries flew right out the window the second I met Elizabeth and Pa at our layover in Tokyo. I had never traveled outside of the country for more than one week, once. I was putting my faith in the CIEE organization, Thailand, and within myself. I immediately knew that Thailand would be a life changing experience for me once I started my first day of orientation. It's like freshman orientation all over again - find friends, make friends, be outgoing, explore the area, and figure out where you belong. The activities and lessons during orientation were extremely helpful. Once I got settled into my town, apartment and school, I knew I was going to fall in love even more. I taught during the week; gaining relationships with the students and staff, learning about the Thai culture and Thai school system, learning about myself and my teaching abilities in another country with a language barrier, and met other foreign teachers from all over the world that cultivated into life-long friendships. On the weekends, I'd meet up with my travel best friends, and we'd travel to a new location - exploring different towns, beaches, mountains, and cultures. We slept in tents, tiny rooms, air bnbs, hostels, and on buses. It was all worth it. Every long car ride, sketchy bus ride, or sleeping arrangement was worth it once you got to your final destination.

My favorite memory is every single person I met, and every single adventure I went on. I can't choose one. These 6 months in Thailand were the best 6 months of my entire life, without a doubt.

My only advice to you is to take very opportunity you can to experience the country you are in, speak to as many people as possible, learn about everyone and everything, and eat lots and lots of food! Live this life with your heart first, and experience all that is available to you.